Lamp-filling indicator.



No. 725,670. PATENTED APR. 21, I903.

E. A. BURLINGAME. LAMP FILLING INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

G I 'f r L ff a? I=dl Z- a z INVENTEIR.

Wl TNEES E 5. M Edwin A furlin uwe I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN A. BURLINGAME, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

LAM P-FlLLlNG INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 725,670, dated April 21,1903. Application filed June 3, 1902. Serial No. 110,050 (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN A. BURLINGAME, acitizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city and county of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lamp-Filling Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention'relates to improvements in lamp-filling indicators or gages-that is, devices adapted to be inserted in the oil-holding vessels or reservoirs of lamps and arranged to automatically indicate or show by means of a vertically-movable float and connected mechanism the level of the fluid in the reservoir. 4

I am well aware that various means have been devised and employed prior to my invention for the purpose above stated. In some of the former indicators the cons-truction was such that the range of vertical movement of the floats was quite small, and as the mechanism employed was comparatively complicated the devices were liable to become inoperative and unreliable at any time. Moreover, the necessarily-increased cost of the devices or lamp attachments just referred to served in a degree to prevent them from being. largely sold.

Theobject I have in view is to produce a lamp attachment or automatic filling-gage that is of the simplest construction, while at the same time capable of being readily inserted and adjusted to the lamp-font or oilholder, the device being further adapted to indicate practically the extreme maximum and minimum levels of the oil corresponding to the filled and empty positions.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a combined elevation and sectionalview of an oil-reservoir of a well-known form of lamp, the burner being omitted. The drawing also shows my improved filling attachment properly mounted in the reservoir. Fig. 2 is a plan viewgfo the device detached from the lamp or Yoservoir. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional viewtaken on line was of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 isan inverted plan view of the bottom end of the device, and Fig. 5 is a side view of the attachment slightly modified.

As before stated, the oil-reservoir or font m is or may be made as usual and provided adapted to readily pass on top with a oil is, poured when filling the oil-chamber. The broken lines w m indicate, respectively, the upper and lower or maximum and minimum levels of the oil corresponding to the full and empty positions.

My improved filling attachment or indicator device a consists substantially of the upper and lower end members or thin disks (1 6, adapted to pass through said nozzle m; the .two guides 17 17, secured to and uniting said disks; a float member f, having laterallyextending eyes f, through which the guiderods freely extend, and an indicator rod or stem 0, secured to the float and passing through the top disk. The several members comprising my invention may be made of metal or even of wire stock. As drawn, the top disk or piece (1 has openings d therethrough for the flow of the oil during the filling operation. It also has a light transverse tie 61*, forming a bearing and guide for the central stem 0. The two disks d and e are soldered or otherwise secured to the two guide-rods b, thereby forming a light skeleton frame for the float. The float member f may be made of cork or other suitable material-in fact, the desired buoyancy may be attained by using a light hollow metallic float. The float is maintained in position laterally by means of the eyes or ears f, extending therefrom and through which the guiderods 19 freely pass. The float-stem 0 may be made of thin wire or of hollow wire, if desired, by a small knob c. The entire device is throughthe filling orifice or nozzle m into the oil-chamber beneath, as clearly shown. The filling-orifice or funnel m has its inner end bent to form a flange, on which the upper disk dot the gage rests.

In Fig.5 the guide-rods are represented as being separablethat is, the lower portion 1) is tubular-and havingthe opposite or upper portion 1) slidably 'fitted therein, thereby adapting the device to lamps having oil-holders varying in depth.

I would add that the float in rising serves to practically and automatically close the filling-orifice at substantially the same instant that the inflowing oil attains the maximum and. be surmounted nozzle m, through which the I level w. The float is visible through the openings 01. Therefore the person filling the lamp is enabled to check the flow of oil before it overflows the nozzle m, thus overcoming obvious disadvantages inherent in lamps unprovided with my improved indicator a.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent In combination with a lamp of a filling-indicator adapted to be inserted in the fillingorifice of said lamp and comprising two flat disks provided at points adjacent their peripheries with oppositely-disposed apertures, oppositely-arranged depending rods secured 

